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Clemson defeats NC State 43-23, one step closer...


ESPN box score

This was an ugly game for the defense. Ugly. 377 total yards allowed. Mental mistakes all around in pass coverage. Two blown coverages lead to TDs. Sensabaugh bit on a pump fake for the first one.

A gimme TD at the end by Meeks on a blown assignment. Brandon Maye almost hands them a TD on one drive with a couple big penalties to keep them alive.  One of which was a PI call that I thought was BS since it was so close to the LOS. The other, well I would like to know if it was definitely a late hit by Maye or something Alexander did, because I couldnt tell if he nicked the facemask as he jerked Wilson to the ground. The ref did not say which it was, only Maye's number.

I'm still left wondering where the damn holding calls were? Lack of discipline in attacking the running game, but when your DTs are being held and Branch/Goodman are held on every other pass rush (and one was a chop block), you wont get tackles for loss/sacks. NC State wasnt doing it on every down and their OL deserves credit for 138 yards, but we're a better defense than that.

Russell Wilson 12/32 for 183, 2 TDs, 1 INT and shouldve had a couple more picked. If his WRs would help him out they'd have done better today, because the defense was giving it up.

I really just think the defense was not mentally prepared today to play. Wilson is good and eludes the pass rush extremely well, but both of their long scoring drives were helped by huge penalties. Maye with two big ones on 3rd downs, Cumbie and Campbell on their 2nd TD drive. NC State was 7/15 on 3rd down.

I noticed more matchup zone and it seemed like we blitzed infrequently again today. Something to look at in the film.

Offensively, not much to say. 454 yards. 200 passing and 254 rushing, thats my kind of breakdown. We ran the ball more (36 att, 19 passes), when I figured we would throw more against this awful pass defense.

-The threat of Spiller scared them into giving up field position and we burned them with it.  Punted twice with the first team O. Efficient day by Parker, 12/18 for 183 and 2 TDs. Spiller 97 yards on the ground.

-Spiller throws a Rodney Williams-like ball. Ugly but it works. He becomes the first CU player ever to score on the ground, receiving, and passing in one game. He broke the school's record for all-purpose yards today.

-NC State did not respect the orbit motion and Ford burned them for a 17 yd TD.

-Teams dont respect the wheel route yet. WHY?

-Jamie Harper, we've been waiting for that for 2 years.

Unofficial word on Austin : ankle sprain